Ferguson to miss start of season

Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has been ruled out for three months with an ankle injury.

Ferguson was hampered by an ankle problem during the club's hectic finale to last season but was told he needed rest rather than an operation during the summer.

The Scotland captain will miss out on Rangers' bid to qualify for the Champions League group stages and the start of his country's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Rangers confirmed that Ferguson would remain in Glasgow for treatment while his team-mates travel to Holland on Saturday to continue their pre-season training.

The UEFA Cup runners-up revealed on their website, www.rangersfc.co.uk, that the problem had been discovered in the early part of this week.

Tests confirmed the initial fears and the early prognosis is that the 30-year-old will be out for three to four months.

The midfielder has been hampered by ankle problems for much of the past three seasons.

Ferguson underwent surgery to repair ligaments in his right ankle in April 2006 after playing throughout the season with the help of injections to counteract pain caused by wear and tear.

The former Blackburn player was also hindered by an ankle problem for much of last season, but continued to play as he wanted to help his team's quadruple challenge.

He saw a specialist in March when he was given treatment that allowed him to play through the pain barrier.